Shay Hamama

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One of the tricky things about strategy is that good strategies end up seeming inevitable, and that makes them difficult to analyze. After the fact, we have trouble distinguishing cause from effect, or strategic choices from good luck — and as a result, we draw suspect lessons from the exercise. …

When you’re trying to convey the quality of your mind to your boss, or to a company that’s considering you for a job, your best ally may be your own voice.<p>Although some people may assume that their ideas and intellect would come across much better in written form, it turns out that using your voice …

Think of the many top executives in recent years who, sometimes after long periods of considerable success, have crashed and burned. Or think of individuals you have known in less prominent positions, perhaps people spearheading significant change initiatives in their organizations, who have …

How does disruptive innovation differ when it’s applied to a product versus a platform?<p>For the sake of clarity, let’s call a product “a platform that is used for one or very few products” and a platform “a structure upon which many variations of products are built.” These definitions recognize that …

If you want to silence a room of executives, try this small trick. Ask them, “Why would anyone want to be led by you?” We’ve asked just that question for the past ten years while consulting for dozens of companies in Europe and the United States. Without fail, the response is a sudden, stunned …

We live in a wild and wondrous world, which means it's time to dust off your passport and get busy exploring Earth's natural treasures and man-made marvels. While hunting down every awe-inspiring landmark would take a lifetime, we've started off with five must-see destinations that should be on …

If it’s true that many people fear public speaking more than death, it’s equally true that businesspeople are condemned to a thousand small deaths in client pitches, in boardrooms, and on stage. And that death can turn slow and torturous when you are asked to speak unexpectedly with little or no …

Why do negative comments and conversations stick with us so much longer than positive ones?<p>A critique from a boss, a disagreement with a colleague, a fight with a friend – the sting from any of these can make you forget a month’s worth of praise or accord. If you’ve been called lazy, careless, or a …

Some people seem to have an amazing ability to stay rational no matter what. They efficiently make good, clear decisions while the rest of us waste energy doing things like panicking about upcoming tasks, ruminating pointlessly, or refusing to move on from our failures. Those cool-headed …

The recent measles outbreak starting in Disneyland, California, provides a sobering reminder to doctors that even when the message they’re delivering is a compelling one — backed by strong evidence — attempts to influence and persuade others can sometimes still come up short.<p>Over the past few years …

In its simplest form, strategic thinking is about deciding on which opportunities to focus your time, people, and money, and which opportunities to starve. One of history’s greatest strategic thinkers, Napoleon Bonaparte summed it up this way: “In order to concentrate superior strength in one …

In the industries plagued by the most uncertainty, how do companies hold on to their ability to innovate? And how do they achieve, and keep, an innovation premium in the market?<p>We found that managers who help their firms create and maintain an innovation premium use a different set of tools than …

We look forward to the annual task of putting together an end-of-year reading list to keep you busy over the holidays. It gives us an opportunity to look back over all of the ideas and advice we published during the year and see what patterns emerge. We consider which ideas we think will have the …

Call 2014 the year of innovation. A Gartner survey of almost 500 executives at global corporations revealed that growth is this year’s top priority. Google Trends reveals that interest in disruptive innovation crept up to peak levels this year. It seems that every time you hop on a quarterly …

Ah, the elevator pitch. A favorite tool of the networking masses. A rite of passage of sorts. You’ve heard the scenario: you step into an elevator and go up one floor. The elevator doors open and in walks the client of your dreams. They start some small talk and ask, “What do you do?” and you’ve …

Many of us find ourselves in professional situations where we believe someone has wronged us, treated us badly, or just plain made us mad. The expert advice often is to have the courage to have an honest conversation, air the grievance. No one can help you solve a problem if she doesn’t know you …

The value of failure has become a mantra in Silicon Valley, with the rise of events like FailCon, a conference “for startup founders to study their own and others’ failures and prepare for success.” Failure, the thinking goes, is an intense form of hands-on education that — when done right — …

Difficult conversations — whether you’re telling a client the project is delayed or presiding over an unenthusiastic performance review — are an inevitable part of management. How should you prepare for this kind of discussion? How do you find the right words in the moment? And, how can you manage …

We all want to be better at something. After all, self-improvement is necessary to getting ahead at work. But once you know what you want to be better at — be it public speaking, using social media, or analyzing data — how do you start? Of course, learning techniques will vary depending on the …

Romualdo Faura<p>Years ago a friend of mine, Gordon, interviewed for a position at a prominent university. During his daylong visit to campus, he had lunch with a senior faculty member (let’s call him Bob) who had final say over the hire. After their food arrived, Bob said of his meal, “You know, this …